Which Dive Agency has lowest AGE limit?

[wetnorm]

My 13 yo son & I want to use EAN this summer. PADI/EAN requires age to be 15. Are there other agencies that teach/certify nitrox to younger kids?
PADI recently dropped OW from 12 to 10. So I'm hoping somewhere EAN will also be taught earlier than 15.
Does anyone know about age limits in ANDI, TDI, SSI, YMCA, etc.?

 

[LUBOLD8431]

In some agencies, there is a "Junior" Specialty certification (specifically, SSI). Meaning, that if the student is under 15, and wants to take a specialty course, they can take it with a parent or guardian, and be certified at the junior level (IIRC). When they turn 15, the cert would need to be upgraded to a normal specialty cert (simple process). I would have to check the Training Standards to be sure. Its been a while since I have had to even worry about that.

 

[DeputyDan]

My daughter was certified with SSI when she was 12.

We did Nitrox (together) when she was 13. Again SSI

Actually for her age, the subject is somewhat advanced. We spent a lot of prep time pre class to prepare her. I say this because the material is more advanced that anything they have been exposed to in school.

 

[backinthewater]

My daughter was certified with SSI when she was 12.

We did Nitrox (together) when she was 13. Again SSI

Actually for her age, the subject is somewhat advanced. We spent a lot of prep time pre class to prepare her. I say this because the material is more advanced that anything they have been exposed to in school.

DeputyDan:
I noticed that your location is NC, so I checked your profile. You poor soul, you are a CPA. I'm a CPA in SC. If you are in public, best wishes for the next two weeks, and get back to work! I need to do the same.

 

[Michael Schlink]

I know I'm going to get it now,BUT should a 13 year old be diving to the depths that Nitrox is best used at?? 60-100 ft. I know they can, but should they?

 

[DeputyDan]

No, they shouldn't.

Myself and my 16 year old were going through the course so I had the 13 year join us.

I don't really expect her to make significant use of it for several years.

 

[Lead_carrier]

I know I'm going to get it now,BUT should a 13 year old be diving to the depths that Nitrox is best used at?? 60-100 ft. I know they can, but should they?

I understand EANx is safer because of less nitrogen loading. So wouldn't that qualify EANx to best be used at any depth that you'd like less nitrogen or shorter surface intervals?

 

[H2Andy]

well, putting for a moment the "safer" issue aside (that's a big "if" right there),
you could use Nitrox in shallow dives, but you would be wasting its potential,
because, as Mike pointed out, Nitrox really shines in giving you extra bottom
time in the 60-100 feet range.

nevertheless, i think the extra knowledge taking a Nitrox class gives you is worth
doing it, even if you don't dive Nitrox at all.

 

[BuoyantC]

One point I haven't seen brought up yet is that there really isn't any research data on the effects of EAN (or diving for that matter) on young, growing kids. I'm not sure I would really want my youngsters to be that data! If you think about it, most older divers started later in life than these kids of today, and adding EAN to that could bring up all sorts of long term physiological questions.
_________________
Dennis

 

[HammerNoMore]

One point I haven't seen brought up yet is that there really isn't any research data on the effects of EAN (or diving for that matter) on young, growing kids. I'm not sure I would really want my youngsters to be that data! If you think about it, most older divers started later in life than these kids of today, and adding EAN to that could bring up all sorts of long term physiological questions.

So your concern is that it might be less safe for a child to have less nitrogen buildup?